|
Fire Extinguishers | Sprinkler Systems |
Smoke Detectors | Hydrant
Flow Tests
| If you have any suggestions, or
materials that would be appropriate for this area of our web
site, we would be interested in hearing from you.
We are looking for someone to create a short
narrative for Stop - Drop & Roll, and setting up an emergency
exit plan & drills for the home.
The Fire Protection Association Australia (FPAA)
at www.fpaa.com.au has
several general fire safety articles.
Have a General Fire Safety Question?
E-mail it to our chapter 1st Vice-President and Program Chairman
by clicking on the e-mail icon below.
 |
Fire Extinguishers
 General Fire Extinguisher
Information
A portable fire extinguisher can
save lives and property by putting out a small fire or containing it
until the Fire Department arrives. Portable fire extinguishers are not
designed to fight a large or spreading fire. The idea is to catch a
fire when it first starts and is small. A portable fire extinguisher
is quite effective on small fires. Most portable fire extinguishers
sold for home use have a short range of 6 to 10 feet and discharge
completely in a very short time of 8 to 10 seconds.
Fire extinguishers are all around your home and farm. How many can
you name? Examples are water hoses, pails or buckets for water,
brooms, shovels and rakes, sand or dirt, blankets and baking soda. If
you have a grease fire in a frying pan, a tight-fitting cover would be
a good fire extinguisher. What other fire extinguishers can you think
of and how could they be used to put out a fire? You need to be aware
of these fire extinguishers that you have all around you and know when
and how to use them. Can you think of a situation when a coat that you
might be wearing could serve as a fire extinguisher?
When we think of fire extinguishers we usually imagine cylinders
mounted on the wall, sitting on a shelf, or attached to a tractor.
These are commercial fire extinguishers designed for fire fighting.
Class of Fires
There are four classes of fires. Any
one may occur in or around the home or farm. Knowing the classes of
fires will help you prevent or fight such a fire.
Class A Fire
Wood, paper, cloth, grass and trash
are common fuels for Class A fires. To prevent these fires, keep these
materials from collecting and from coming in contact with a source of
heat. Neatness and cleanliness around the home and farm are good fire
prevention practices. Get rid of waste paper, wood, grass and trash.
Don't keep "food" for a fire.
Water is effective in fighting Class A fires. Water works by
lowering the temperature below the combustion point of the wet
material. Wet materials need more heat to burn.
Class B Fires
Gasoline, gas, kerosene, fuel oil,
oil, grease, oil base paints, varnishes and stains, cleaning fluids,
solvents and lighter fluids are the fuels for Class B fires. These are
petroleum products.
Proper storage of these materials is the best method of preventing
Class B fires. Keep products away from heat and provide good air
circulation. Smoking around these products is an absolute No-No.
These fuels float on water; therefore water is not effective in
fighting Class B fires. Indeed, water will often cause these fires to
spread. The result is a bigger and more dangerous fire. To fight these
fires you must remove either the fuel from the fire or the source of
air. Fire and chemicals which remove the air are used to fight these
fires. A wet blanket or even dirt or sand can be used to control or
extinguish a Class B fire.
Class C Fires
Fires caused by electricity are
Class C fires. Light switches, electric motors and other electrical
equipment can ignite dust or flammable vapors. Light bulbs, electric
motors, toasters, electric stoves and other electrical appliances and
equipment can cause fires if they are too hot and too close to
material which will ignite. A gasoline fire started with an electrical
spark is at first a Class C fire; then as the gasoline burns, it is a
Class B fire.
Electrical fires are prevented by using appliances and equipment
properly and by keeping combustible materials away from these
appliances and equipment.
Electrical fires are extinguished by turning off the electrical
power and smothering the fire with carbon dioxide or dry chemicals.
Never use water. Water will conduct electricity and you could easily
be electrocuted. Fighting electrical fires with water is a "once in a
lifetime experience!"
Class D Fires
Metals which burn are Class D fires.
You have seen these fires. When a picture is taken with a flash cube,
a Class D fire occurs. Metal is burned inside the flash cube. Have you
seen fireworks, the kind used on the Fourth of July? Fireworks are
burning metal compounds.
This type of fire is uncommon around the home and farm. However, if
the flash cube were improperly constructed, damaged or used
incorrectly, it could cause a fire. The same is true with fireworks.
Careless use of fireworks causes many injuries and costly fires each
year.
Special chemicals which coat the burning metal are used to
extinguish metal fires.
Types of Fire
Extinguishers
It is essential that the type of
fire extinguisher you use is appropriate for the type of fire you are
fighting. If, for example, you spray water on a grease fire, the water
will cause the grease to splatter and the fire may spread. Similarly,
if you spray energized or live electrical equipment with water, you
are putting yourself in danger of electrical shock. There are many
types of portable fire extinguishers for sale. Depending on their
intended use, fire extinguishers use a variety of "extinguishing
agents" such as water or dry chemicals that put out the fire.
Quality fire extinguishers should be purchased from reputable
dealers. Purchase only approved extinguishers listed by Underwriter's
Laboratory, Inc., or the Factory Mutual Engineering Corporation? Is it
the right type for your needs? Which symbols does it carry - A, B, C?
Is it the right size?
Fires are grouped into four basic categories (Class A, B, C and D)
which are described above. Fire extinguishers are labeled for the
class fire they are suitable for extinguishing.
Fire extinguishers are also rated, numerically, by the size of fire
they can put out. The higher an extinguisher's rating number, the
larger the fire the extinguisher can put out. For example, a 4 A rated
extinguisher can put out twice as much fire as a 2 A rated
extinguisher. Pictorial fire classification symbols will appear on
most fire extinguishers. If all three fire class symbols (A, B and C)
are shown, the model of extinguisher is rated for all three classes of
fire.
The types of fire extinguishers and their fire classification are
as follows:
Water
Water or an anti-freeze solution are combined with compressed
air or carbon dioxide gases to create a pressure, causing the water
to spray out of the extinguisher. The most common size is 2 1/2
gallons. This extinguisher is rated for Class A fires only.Carbon Dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a gas and is compressed into the extinguisher.
This extinguisher is rated for Class B and Class C fires. Carbon
dioxide is discharged from the extinguisher as a gas and will travel
only a short distance (3 to 8 feet).Dry Chemical
Dry chemical extinguishers use a chemical powder and compressed
air or carbon dioxide gas to discharge the powder on a fire. This
extinguisher is rated for Class B and Class C fires.Multipurpose Dry Chemical
Multipurpose dry chemical extinguishers use a chemical powder
and compressed air or carbon dioxide gas to discharge the powder on
a fire. This multipurpose dry chemical powder is different from the
regular dry chemical powder. This extinguisher is rated for Class A,
Class B and Class C fires. This is why it is called multipurpose or
an ABC type fire extinguisher.Halogenated
Halogenated compound extinguishers use a special chemical gas
compounds that is compressed into the extinguisher. This
extinguisher is rated for Class A, Class B and Class C fires.
Selecting a Fire
Extinguishers
For a Class A fire (ordinary
combustible), use a Class A rated extinguisher like a pressurized
water extinguisher, a multipurpose dry chemical ABC extinguisher, or a
halogenated compound extinguisher.
For a Class B fire (flammable liquids), use baking soda, a dry
chemical BC extinguisher, a multipurpose dry chemical ABC
extinguisher, a carbon dioxide extinguisher, or a halogenated compound
extinguisher. Water should not be used.
For a Class C fire (energized electrical equipment), use a dry
chemical BC extinguisher, a multipurpose dry chemical ABC
extinguisher, a carbon dioxide extinguisher, or a halogenated compound
extinguisher. Water should not be used.
For a Class D fire (combustible metals) which is usually only found
in industrial plants, use a special Class D powder extinguisher.
Using Fire Extinguishers
Fire extinguishers work in different
ways. Always read the instructions on the extinguisher before it is
used. Don't wait for a fire to start to learn how to use the
extinguisher.
Just think of the word - PASS:
Pull the safety pin at the top of the extinguisher.Aim the nozzle, horn, or hose at the base of the flames.
Squeeze or press the handle.Sweep from side to side at the base of the fire until it
goes out.
Always have fire extinguishers recharged immediately after they
have been used. Forgetting this could result in a costly fire the next
time. Reliable fire extinguisher companies provide this service.
With Class B fires, use a "fanning" action, rapidly moving from
side to side beginning well in front of the fire and beyond the sides.
With Class C fires, aim the extinguisher at the electrical
appliance or equipment which is on fire. With electrical fires, always
shut off the electrical appliance or equipment, or the fire may
restart after the effects of the extinguisher are gone.
Placement of Fire
Extinguishers
Fire extinguishers should be located
near, but not in, areas where the fire danger is high. Some of these
places are the kitchen, furnace room, garages, tractor and fuel
storage areas. Can you think of other dangerous areas in or around
your home or farm? Fire extinguishers should be located where they can
be easily seen and reached, NOT in the back of the broom closet,
behind the stove or in a locked cabinet!
 top
Sprinkler Systems
History &
Development
 Sprinklers
were invented by an American, Henry S. Parmelee, in 1874 to protect
his piano factory.
Until the 1940's and 1950's sprinklers were installed
almost exclusively for the protection of buildings, especially
warehouses and factories. Insurance savings which could pay back the
cost of the system in a few years time were the major incentives.
Following several fires with large losses of life
(Cocoanut Grove Night Club - Boston, 1942 - 492 dead; LaSalle Hotel -
Chicago, 1946 - 61 dead; Winecoff Hotel - Atlanta, 1946 - 119 dead)
fire and building officials searched for a means to provide life
safety for building occupants. They found that factories and other
buildings equipped with automatic sprinklers had an amazingly good
record of life loss as compared with similar unsprinklered buildings.
Building codes, over the past two decades, have been
increasingly calling for sprinklers throughout buildings for life
safety, especially buildings in which rapid evacuation of occupants is
difficult or the hazard posed by contents is high.
Where the building codes don't go far enough, many
states and cities enact special tough sprinkler ordinances. The State
of West Virginia, for example, requires sprinklers throughout all new
buildings exceeding 40 feet in height. The city of Oak Brook,
Illinois, requires sprinklers throughout all new buildings exceeding
1,000 square feet in area except single-family dwellings. Some
communities, such as San Clemente, California, and Greenburgh, New
York, require sprinkler protection even in new single-family homes.
In addition to requiring sprinklers throughout new
buildings, some cities have encouraged sprinkler installation in
existing buildings. Both New York City's Local Law 5 for high-rise
office buildings and a Chicago ordinance requiring sprinklers
throughout all nursing homes were upheld by the courts.
In some countries, such as Japan, sprinkler systems
are used almost exclusively for life safety protection, and are being
required throughout new and existing buildings.
High-rise hotels have been required to retrofit with
sprinklers in the states of Nevada and Florida, and the city of
Honolulu, Hawaii.
Operation
Sprinklers are individually heat-activated, and tied
into a network of piping with water under pressure. When the heat of a
fire raises the sprinkler temperature to its operating point (usually
165 degrees F), a solder link will melt or a liquid-filled glass bulb
will shatter to open that single sprinkler, releasing water directly
over the source of the heat.
Life Safety Features
Sprinklers operate automatically in the area of fire origin,
preventing a fire from growing undetected to a dangerous size, while
simultaneously sounding an alarm.
Sprinklers keep fires small. The majority of fires in sprinklered
buildings are handled by one or two sprinklers.
Sprinklers do not rely upon human factors such as familiarity with
escape routes or emergency assistance. They go to work immediately to
reduce the danger.
Sprinklers prevent the fast-developing fires of intense heat which
are capable of trapping and killing dozens of building occupants.
Smoke, a by-product of fire, is generally the cause of death to
building occupants. Although smoke is produced as sprinklers
extinguish a fire, such quantities of smoke are less than those which
would be produced by an unsprinklered fire permitted to grow large and
eventually extinguished by fire department hoses.
Life Safety Record
Aside from fire fighting and explosion
fatalities, there has never been a multiple loss of life in a fully
sprinklered building due to fire or smoke. Individual lives have been
lost when the victim or his immediate clothing or surroundings became
the source of the fire.
A National Fire Protection Association study
for the years 1971-1975 found that approximately 20 lives are lost
each year in this country in sprinklered buildings, as compared to
approximately 8,000 deaths per year in unsprinklered buildings. Some
68% of the lives lost in sprinklered buildings were due to explosions,
and an additional 18% were due to the fact that the fire originated in
an unsprinklered area of the building.
Design
and Installation
Proper design and installation of sprinkler
systems is standardized nationally in a consensus standard promulgated
by the National Fire Protection Association - NFPA 13.
A basic premise of proper sprinkler
protection is that sprinklers be installed throughout all building
areas. Partial sprinkler protection is a game of chance, since a fire
originating in an unsprinklered area can overpower sprinklers once
given a head start.
Electrical supervision of sprinkler systems
to detect closed valves or water flow is a major plus in assuring
system reliability and effectiveness, and required by many building
codes for large and important system installations.
Reliability
All fire protection features have a
reliability factor. Walls and shafts can be breached by means of poke-
throughs and building alterations. Exit doors can be blocked or
locked.
Sprinklers may be the most reliable fire
protection system known. Detailed fire records from Australia and New
Zealand (where fires must be reported) for the years 1886 through 1968
showed that 99.76% of all fires were extinguished or controlled by the
sprinklers. Fire records in this country are less dependable due to
lack of full reporting, especially for small fires where the
sprinklers are successful. Nevertheless, the range includes a 96.2%
success record reported by the National Fire Protection Association
for the years 1925 through 1969, a 98.4% success record for New York
City high-rise buildings between 1969 and 1978, and a 98.2% success
record for U.S. Department of Energy facilities between 1952 and 1980.
Cost
The cost of a complete sprinkler system
depends on many factors, such as the building type and construction,
availability of public water supply, and degree of hazard of the
occupancy. For new construction, systems can cost from $0.50/sq ft. to
$1.50/sq. ft., usually less than the cost of carpeting.
The major model code organizations, in
releasing average costs of sprinkler systems for building permit
purposes, listed the following add-on costs for new construction in
1984:
-
Building Officials and Code
Administrators: $0.67 to $1.35/sq. ft.
-
International Conference of Building
Officials: $1.30/sq. ft.
-
Southern Building Code Congress: $1.25/sq.
ft.
Retrofit installations in existing buildings
can be expected to cost somewhat more (perhaps 50%), depending on the
difficulty of installation.
The systems' cost can often be offset by
insurance savings, and by specific design alternatives or "trade-offs"
permitted by most building codes in view of the superior protection
afforded by sprinklers. These trade-offs often include reduced
fire-resistance requirements for structural components, longer exit
travel distances, and larger building areas and heights.
Water Damage
Reports of water damage due to fires in
sprinklered buildings are often exaggerated due to comparisons with
the small fire loss which occurs thanks to the sprinklers.
The amount of water which is put on a fire by
fire department hoses in an unsprinklered building fire is nearly
always tens to hundreds of times more than that which sprinklers would
have discharged. The fire damage, as reflected by insurance claims, is
also many times greater.
Loss records of Factory Mutual Research
indicate that the probability of a sprinkler discharging accidentally
due to a manufacturing defect is only 1 in 16,000,000 sprinklers per
year in service.
Myths
about Sprinklers
Myth: When the system activates all the sprinklers in the
system discharge water.
This false concept has been nurtured by the
entertainment industry, and the visual effects created by all the
sprinklers discharging water, instead of the single sprinkler head.
The vast majority of sprinklers systems, have
normally closed sprinkler heads with a heat sensitive operating
element in each head. The element may be a solder type metal link or a
liquid filled glass bulb. When the element is subjected to a
sufficient amount of heat, the element activates and opens the single
sprinkler head allowing water to flow. Only the sprinklers heads in
the vicinity of the fire that have been subjected to a sufficient
amount of heat will flow water.
Myth: Sprinkler systems leak and cause more damage then the
threat of a fire.
Sprinklers are a precision manufactured
device, and the statisics indicate that less than 1 in a 16 million
sprinklers leak/year. Sprinklers are normally closed and only opened
once, then replaced. Unlike a faucet that wears, through continual
opening and closing, sprinklers do not wear and operate only once, or
never.
Myth: The water damage from sprinklers is worse than the fire.
The truth is, a sprinkler puts far less water
on a fire than a fire hose would. Automatic systems spray water only
in the immediate area of the fire and can keep the fire from spreading
to the point where widespread damage is unavoidable.
Myth: Sprinklers go off accidentally, causing unnecessary water
damage.
Accidental water damage caused by automatic
sprinkler systems is relatively rare. One study concluded that
sprinkler accidents are generally less likely and less severe than
mishaps involving standard home plumbing systems.
Myth: Sprinklers are ugly.
Sprinklers don't have to be unattractive.
Pipes can be hidden behind ceilings or walls, and modern sprinklers
can be inconspicuous -- mounted almost flush with walls or ceilings.
Some sprinklers can even be concealed.
top
Smoke Detectors
Life Safety
Most fatal home fires occur at night, while people are asleep.
Instead of waking you, poisonous gases and smoke from a fire in your
home can quickly numb the senses and put you into deeper sleep.
Your chance of dying in a home fire is cut nearly in half if you
have smoke detectors to alert you to a fire. Almost every day, a smoke
detector saves somebody's life. Smoke detectors (also called smoke
alarms) save so many lives that most states have laws requiring them
in private homes. Every home needs a device that can wake people up in
time to escape from a fire.
About 86 percent of American homes have smoke detectors today...
but that still leaves one home in seven unprotected! The alarming fact
is that one-third of those detectors aren't working! And many homes
that do have smoke detectors still don't have enough to be properly
protected!
Of all the low-cost fire alarm devices you can buy, fire officials
consider smoke detectors the most effective. Smoke detectors can save
even more lives if we install them everywhere they are needed and if
we keep them working.
Selecting
a Smoke Detector
Dozens of reputable brands of smoke
detector are readily available. No matter where you buy your detector
or what type they are, be sure to buy only "labeled" units-- those
bearing the mark of an organization that tests and evaluates products.
Two nationally know testing organizations are Underwriter's Laboratory
(UL) and Factory Mutual (FM).
Any labeled smoke detector offers protection -- whether it's
powered by batteries or household current, whether it's a
photo-electric or ionization device. Detectors utilizing household
current must be wired into the home wiring system, and do not need
batteries.
But to get the protection you paid for, it's vital that you follow
the manufacturer's recommendations for installation, testing and
maintenance.
Number and Placement
 Minimum
protection requires a smoke detector outside each sleeping area and on
every level of the home, including the basement. On floors without
bedrooms, detectors should be installed in or near living areas such
as dens, living rooms, or family rooms.
Everyone in your home should be able to hear the smoke detector
alarm, even with bedroom doors closed. If not, or if any residents are
hearing-impaired, install additional detectors inside bedrooms. For
the hearing-impaired, smoke detector are also available that are wired
to high- intensity strobes that flash.
For extra protection, addition smoke detector may be installed in
dining rooms, furnace room, utility room and hallways. Most home fires
start in the living areas, den, family room, or living room. Smoke
detectors should not be placed in kitchens, bathrooms, garages, or
unheated spaces where cooking fumes, steam, exhaust or high
temperatures might cause false alarms.
Smoke rises, thus mount detectors high on a wall or on the ceiling.
A wall-mounted unit should be 4 to 12 inches from the ceiling. A
ceiling-mounted detector should be at least 4 inches from the nearest
wall. In a room with a pitched ceiling, mount the detector on or near
the ceiling's highest point.
In open stairways with no door at the top or bottom, position the
smoke detector anywhere in the path of smoke moving up the stairs.
Position smoke detectors at the bottom of enclosed stairways, such as
those leading to the basement. Dead air trapped near the door at the
top of the stairway could prevent smoke from reaching the detector.
Keep detectors away from windows, doors, or forced-air registers
where drafts could interfere with the detector's operation.
Take time to read the manufacturers installation instructions
carefully and follow them.
Maintenance
It is extremely important to test
and clean all detectors regularly.
Replace the batteries according to the manufacturer's
recommendation - or at least once a year. Warn everyone in your
household to leave working batteries in smoke detectors - resist the
temptation to borrow them for other purposes.
Never paint a smoke detector. Vacuum your detector at least once a
year, as cobwebs and dust can impair a detector's sensitivity.
Follow the manufacturers instructions for testing your smoke
detectors. It only takes a moment to test a smoke detector that could
save your life; test yours once a week to make sure you're protected.
Plan of Action
Being awakened by a smoke detector
can be very scary and disorienting. You'll do the right thing if
you've planned for a fire emergency before it happens.
First, make sure everyone knows what your smoke detector sounds
like.
Escape planning is a must. Plan at least two ways out from each
room - especially the bedrooms. Set a place to meet outside the house
so you'll know when everyone is out. Have everyone rehearse the plan,
include crawling low as you must do in the presence of smoke and hot
gases.
In case of a real fire, get out of the house immediately. Once at
the meeting place, have one person go to a neighbor's phone to call
the fire department.
top
Hydrant Water Flow Tests
top
|
